If you have a Google Analytics account linked to your website, Google requires that there is a text on the website telling you that you are collecting cookies.
If the website lacks information about cookies, Google can shut down the Analytics account.
- There needs to be a short text telling you that you collect cookies from visitors. This text must appear on all pages of the website, for example in the footer, together with a link to a document describing how you handle cookies.
- The link mentioned in the paragraph above should link to a full information page, e.g. your privacy policy where you must then have information on how cookies are used on the page.
Under the Electronic Communications Act 2011, anyone who visits a website that uses cookies, whether or not it uses Google Analytics, must be given information about the fact that the website contains cookies and the purpose of their use. The visitor must also consent to the use of cookies.
To allow the visitor to consent to the use of cookies, it is common to place a top banner at the top of the page. This banner informs the visitor that cookies are being used and allows the visitor to click away from the banner by consenting to their use.
Extract from Google Analytics Terms of Use:
You must have and follow an appropriate Privacy Policy and must comply with all applicable laws, policies and regulations regarding the collection of information from Visitors. You must publish a Privacy Policy, and this Privacy Policy must provide information about your use of cookies used to collect traffic data. You must state that you use Google Analytics and how Google Analytics collects and processes data. You can do this by placing a prominent link to the “How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps” webpage (at the following address: www.google.com/intl/sv/policies/privacy/partners/, or such other web address as Google may provide from time to time). You shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that a Visitor is clearly and fully informed of, and consents to, the storage and use of cookies or other information on the Visitor’s device where such activity occurs in connection with the Service and where providing such information and obtaining such consent is required by law.
If you have enabled Google Analytics Advertising Features, you are required to inform visitors about this by including the following information in your privacy policy:
* Which Google Analytics Advertising Features you have implemented
* How you and third-party vendors use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) or other first-party identifiers in conjunction with third-party cookies (such as Google’s advertising cookies) or other third-party identifiers
* What Google Analytics Advertising Features you have implemented
* How you and third-party vendors use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) or other first-party identifiers in conjunction with third-party cookies (such as Google advertising cookies) or other third-party identifiers
* How visitors can opt out of Google Analytics Advertising Features, for example through ad settings, mobile app ad settings, or otherwise (for example, NAI’s Interest-Based Advertising Opt-Out Tool)
We recommend that you also inform users about Google Analytics opt-outs for the web.
Don’t forget to review your website and how you inform your visitors about cookies!